Pneumatic cleansing apparatus.



No. 820,007. PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

A. B. MOORHEAD.

PNEUMATIG CLEANSING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 6.1005.

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No. 820,007. PATENTED MAY 8, 1906- A. E. MOORHEAD. PNEUMATIC CLEANSING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION'PILEIJ JUNE 6,1905.

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APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6,1905.

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To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT EPh/IOORHEAD, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Oakland, county of Alameda, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Cleansing Apparatus; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in pneumatic apparatus for cleansing the interior of houses, carpets especially, and removing therefrom by pneumatic means dust and other impurities collecting and in 'disposing such dust and impurities by means as hereinafter described, and illustrated by drawings that form a part of this specification.

My invention consistsin subjecting the air, dust, and dirt in their passage to and through collecting-chambers to agitation and saturation with water or a liquid ,solution that combines with and causes complete preci itation 'of the particles and at the same time estroys their infective nature by formaldehyde or other sterilizing substance held in solution by the water. a

My invention also includes mechanicalagitat-ing devices, reierably of a rotary nature, interposed in t e conduits and receptacles for the exhausted impure air and in means to removefrom a receiver the accumulated dirt, dust, and other impurities, as hereinafter explained.

The objects of my invention are to satu-. rate, collect, precipitate, and sterilize the dust and impurities that come from houses and carpets when cleansed and prevent their.

escape and dissemination in the external air.

To these ends I provide apparatus as shown in the drawings herewith. Figure I is a plan view of cleansing apparatus constructed according to my invention, Fig. II, a side view, partially in section, of the same ap aratus; Fig. III, an-end view of the device s own in Figs. I and II with some of the parts omitted, and Fig. IV a transverse section on the iine ca in Fig. III.

In the collection and removal of dirt and fine dust from carpets it is common to pass such dust through water to arrest the partielse and prevent them from escaping into theair. The manner of operating oniy partially serves the purpose intended, because an Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patenteddviay 8, 1906.

. charged with fine dust ecomes"r pellent as it is called, the dust enveloping globules of of the liquid andbe discharged without disintegration. This same phenomenon occurs in streams of air loaded with dust, such streams forming dust-lined passages through a stratum of water of whatever depth and escaping when charged with dust, and there is the further objection that simple saturation with water alone, even when complete, removes but does not destroy disease germs contained in the dust. To obviate these several impediments, I apply violent mechanso that each particle in the latter will be saturated, arrested, and precipitated, so the air will escape ure. Insteadjof simple water I employ a so u-tion containing any of the wellknown sterilizing substances, such asformaldehyde, which 'devitalizes deleterious atoms removed from carpets, rendering the whole process aseptic as well as a renovating one.

The mechanical apparatus for agitation can take a variety of forms, rotary action, bein' preferable and most effective, is preferabIy employed, as shown in the drawings, now to be referred-to. v

1 is a main supporting-frame of box construction that serves as a tank 2 to contain Water or a li uid solution 3 and acts as a receptacle for net and dirt discharged therein through the pipe 4, as shown in Fig. II.

7 a va uum pump, both driven from a crank 8 and ore '9 by means of a shaft 16, a band 12-, and in the present case by an electric motor 13, mounted on the main frame 1, so the operating parts are self contain'ed and portable. I The valve-chambers 14 and 15 contain the usual distributing-valves operated by the crank 16 and yoke 11. 17 and 18 are induction pipes, and 19 and 20 eduction or disecharge pipes, the latter leading to a receiver 22, from which a pipe or hose 23 conducts air underpressure to devices for cleansing carpets, having the customary nozzles and other appliances for the purpose. named devices I do not explain here, they being fully described in Letters Patent granted to me, No. 784,801, dated March 14, 19-95, 'No. 787,389, dated April 18, 1905, 787,388, dated April 18-. 1905, and No.

5 isan air-compressing engine or pump, and

These latter water that will pass through the main body ical agitation t0 the liquid and dust-laden air ing-chamber 25, as shown in Fig. III.

The vacuum-pump 7 draws air from the chamber 2 in the bed-plate or main frame and discharges through the pipe 19, the air being cleansed and purified by means now to be described. Dust and dirt from the cleaning devices is by reason of the vacuum maintained in the chamber 2 drawn in through the pipe 2-1 that enters at each end the agitaItn this chamber are right and left helical impellers 27 28, that slowly move the dirt, dust, and water toward the center and to the fan 29, that acting by centrifugal effect circulates the Water or solution 3 through the pipes and discharges it into the chamber 2, as indicated in Fi II. As the pipes 30 connect the main cham er 2 and the ends of the chamber 25, this latter is kept full of the water or solution 3 to approximately the same level as in the chamber 2, and the agitation of the impellers 28 and the fan 29 completely disintegrate and saturate the substances contained in the foul air, permitting their precipitation in the chamber 2. The impellers 28 and fan 29 are mounted on a shaft 32, driven by a chain 33 from the main crank-shaft 10 by means of the wheels 3435, as seen in Fig. I. In the plane of the impellers 28 the chamber 25 is preferably made of a shallow volute form, as indicated at Fig. IV, to deflect the water and air inward, and thus increase the agitating effect of the impellers 28 and is made separable, so as to remove and re lace the shaft 32. In the chamber 2 are -p aced diaphrgams or dams 37 38, which may be of any required depth, beneath which airentering at 4 must pass before being drawn out through the pipe 17. Means are provided for removing accumulated sludge from the bottom of the tank 2, consisting of an ejector =39 and connected parts, as shown in Fig. II.

The pipe 40 connects to the air-receiver 22 or any ot er available source of air or water under pressure, and a hose 42 leads from the ejector 39 toa receiver 43, having a loose top 44 and a waste connection 45, that may be provided with-a trap, as shown, and lead to a sewer or other suitable place of deposit.

In the case of emptying into city sewers a screen-bag 47 to remove solids is suspended in the receiver 43. This bag when loaded is removed through the top of the receiver and emptied. This apparatus for clearing the chamber 2 being used at intervals only is controlled by a valve 49 in the discharge-pipe 42, also by shutting off the impelling air or water passing through the pipe 40 and nozzle 50. The receiver 43 can be stationary or mounted on the main frame 1, so the whole will be self-contained and portable, as is re-' quired in moving from house to house.

Having thus explained the nature and objects of my invention, what I claim as new,

and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1. 1n pneumatic cleansing apparatus, a

ceiver therein, an air-compressor pump and an air-exhaust pump mounted thereon, a compressed-air receiver, a pipe connection between said compressor-pump and said receiver, a pipe connection between said exhaust-pump and said tank, an outlet for said exhaust-pump, anair-outlet for said compressor-pump, an outlet in the bottom of said tank, an ejector connected with said outlet, and a pipe connection between said ejector and a store of compressed air, with means for cutting ofi' said connection, substantially as specified.

3. In pneumatic cleansing apparatus, a hollow base, having a collecting-tank or receiver therein, an air-compressor pump and an air-exhaust pump mounted thereon, a

compressed-air receiver, a pipe connection ceiver therein, an air-compressor pump and an air-exhaust pump mounted thereon, a compressed-air receiver, a pipe connection between said compressor-pump and said receiver, a pipe connection between said exhaustpump and said tank, an outlet for said exhaust-pump, an'air-inlet for said compressor-pump, an inlet-pipefor dust and refuse connected to discharge into the tank, and a device for agitating and forcing said refuse into said tank between the tank and said in- ,let-pipe, said tank and agitating device containing an antiseptic solution for sterilizing said refuse, substantially as specified.

5. In pneumatic cleansing apparatus, a hollow base, having a collecting-tank or re ceiver therein, an air-compressor pump and an air-exhaust pump mounted thereon, a compressed-air receiver, a pipe connection between said compressor-pump and said receiver, a pipe connection between said exhaust-pump and said tank, an outlet for said exhaust-pump, an air-inlet for said compressor-pump, an inlet-pipefor dust and refuse connectedto discharge into the tank, an agitating-cha'mber between said inlet+pi e and said; tank, containing an antiseptic so ution, androtatory helical impellers for moving said refuse toward and delivering it"to said tank,

substantially as specified.

, compressed-air receiver, a pipe connection between said compressor-pump and said receiver, a pipe connection between said exhaust-pump and said tank, an outlet for said exhaust-pump, an air-inlet for said com- A p'ressor-pump, an elongated agitating-chamber connected with said tank, an inlet-pipe for dust and refuse connected with said agitat-c ing-chamber at its ends, said chamber contaming an antiseptic solution, rotatory helical impellers in said chamber for agitating said refuse and moving it mechanically toward the center, and a central fan-impeller for discharging said refuse into said tank, substan tially as specified.

7. In pneumatic cleansing apparatus, a collooting-tank, an air-exhaust pump, a pipe connection from the tank to said exhaustpump, an elongated agitating-chamber connected with said tank, an antiseptic solution in said tank and chamber, inlet-pipes at the ends of said agitating-chamber for induction ting-chamber communicating'with said tank, an anti'se tic liquid in said tank and cham ber an in et-pipe for dust and refuse to said chamber, and rotatory mechanical impellers in said chamber for agitating and moving the refuse, said chamber having an interior involute contour in cross-section, substantially as specified.

9. In pneumatic cleansing apparatus, a hollow basehaving a collecting-tank or-receiver therein, an air-compressor 'pumpxand an air-exhaust pump mounted thereon, an agitating with sald tank, rotatory agitators in said chamber, a compressed-air receiver, a pipe and said receiver, a pipe connection between said exhaust-pump and said tank, and a comoperative connections for working said pumps andthe said rotatory agitators, substantial y as specified,

10. In pneumatic cleansin apparatus, a collecting-tankQfor dust and re se, means for exhausting air therefrom, an elongated agitating and mixing chamber connected with said tank, said tank and chamber'containing an antiseptic liquid, inlet-pipes for dust and refuse at-the ends of said chamber, rotator helical impellers within said chamber for agrtating and moving said refuse, and a rotatory fan 0 larger diameter than the impellers for dischar ing the refuse into said tank, substantialIy as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my two subscribing witnesses.

- ALBERT E. MooRHEAn Witnesses:

LESLIE W. GRAY, HERB C. Fos'rna.

connection between said compressor-pump .name 'to this specification in the presence of lhaust pump connected therewith, an agit'atand mixing chamber connected.

mon cross-shaft mounted on said base, with 

